After nearly two months in Chile and Argentina we had become quite accustomed to the South American way of life, but now it was time to adapt to the African way of life!
We started with a one night layover in Johannesburg before boarding a flight to Mozambique. Our flight had recently been changed from a direct flight to Inhambane to a flight via the country's capital Maputo. This was not a problem until we tried to check in an discovered that whilst we had been transferred in to the new flight no tickets had been issued. After going backwards and forwards for nearly an hour we managed to check in. We also formed a bond with the 7 other passengers who were having similar issues!
We were going to Mozambique to visit my wonderful friend Caty Batten who had been living in Tofo Beach since the previous October and volunteering for the Marine Megafauna Foundation. Tofo has a unique selection of sea life, in particular lots of manta rays and whale sharks. The area is particularly popular with divers.
Caty, me and Nick in the Mozambique sunshine
We arrived at Inhambane airpor which dates back to the 1940s and not much has changed since then. The check in desk, departure gate, arrivals, luggage collection and airport bar were all within 10 metres of each other, so it was a speedy arrival process. We had been warned there was no cash machine/ATM at the airport.
Inhambane airport
We were met by Caty, her friend Charlotte and their favourite local driver JC. After a quick stop at the petrol station, which has an ATM, we dropped our luggage at Caty's accommodation in Tofo Beach and then headed off to the Barra, the next cove along where we would stay for the first two nights in a house on stilts right on the beach.
Our home at Barra
Barra is a beautiful beach with golden sands and a sweeping bay. The beaches were empty apart from the odd tourist and boys selling bracelets.
The beautiful & empty beach
We were just a short walk from the sea and an even shorter walk from Chill Bar which provided delicious food, cocktails and beers. We were learnt about the Mozambique laid back approach to service and the best thing to do was order food, go for a swim in the sea, dry off and come back just in time for the food to arrive. This was the pattern of our stay in Barra. The temperature and humidity didn't make us want to be any more active than that. We did venture to the Green Turtle restaurant at the other end of the bay one night. It is a french restaurant with very French owners and a chef who had (allegedly) received a Michelin star. We had planned to walk to the restaurant but we had been distracted by watching the sunset so negotiations were started and a truck appeared from somewhere on the beachfront to drive us to the restaurant - five (we were being accompanied by three Danish tourists who Caty and her friends had got to know) of us in the open back and two front. The food was delicious and served in a beachfront bungalow. A highlight was a beautiful moonlit beach walk, with crabs scuttling out of our way as we walked, back to our house.
Sunset at Barra
Moonlit walk home
After two nights in Barra we headed to Tofo Beach in time to watch a live rock band called On the Way that was visiting from Maputo in one of the local bars. By the end of the night the dance floor was quite lively!
On the Way just warming up
Our home in Tofo
The view from the deck
The main row of bars and restaurants in the centre of Tofo
Over the next few days we maintained the chilled pace of life as we explored Tofo, which is not much bigger than a village. Having been so busy in Patagonia, I confess we were a bit lazy whilst Caty was an excellent hostess cooking for us and making plans. Highlights included a surf lesson, during which we both just about managed to stand up (after our lesson we watched our teacher ride the waves whilst doing a headstand on his surfboard); a film night in the communal kitchen with a projector and a sheet hanging from one of the rafters; a public talk on manta rays given by one of Caty's colleagues - did you know that manta rays are graceful and intelligent and can grown up to 7 metres?!; sampling the local restaurants including excellent pizza from Brancas; and a beautiful sunset dhow (sailboat) ride down the estuary with a walk on a tiny sandy island.
All too soon it was time to head back to the airport and start the next part of our adventure. However, we left feeling refreshed and with a new found respect for ocean megafauna. Thank you Caty, and your friends and colleagues, for the wonderful hospitality!
- Jess
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